Kansas State snapped a six-game losing streak last night, and it is hard to ignore the fact that the Wildcats had probably their best game of the season just days after firing head coach Jerome Tang. This was the first game of the Matthew Driscoll interim era, and fans might be hoping he stays around permanently.
The Wildcats scored 90 points vs. Baylor, the most points they have scored in Big 12 play this season. After the game, Driscoll addressed the media in his post-game press conference and probably surprised everyone with his opening comment.
"I did not come to Kansas State to be the head coach," Driscoll said.
"I didn't come here to be a head coach."
— Kole Emplit (@KoleEmplit) February 18, 2026
A bit of Matthew Driscoll's opening statement.
He talks about Jerome Tang- and what he means to Driscoll's life.#KStateMBB pic.twitter.com/9dWkG4x9ra
Driscoll is in his first year in Manhattan, where he took the job ot be the associate head coach to Tang, but now finds himself leading the team after his friend was fired. Driscoll and Tang go back 20+ years, both coaching at Baylor when Scott Drew took over the program. Tang stayed in Waco while Driscoll took the lead job at North Florida, where he would go on to have a historic career.
Driscoll reunited with Tang this season at Kansas State, and after his first win as the interim head coach with the Wildcats, Driscoll didn't talk about glory, but instead chose loyalty to Tang. Driscoll spoke about the person that Tang is and made it clear he isn't going to partake in the slander of his friend.
"Coach Tang has always been there for me; he has always supported me," Driscoll said. "Coach Tang is an amazing human being, and he did amazing things at Kansas State."
Tang did do some great things at Kansas State, and it is a shame that things ended the way they did. However, programs, especially when spending the kind of money that they do now on players, want results instantly, and Tang wasn't meeting those expectations in Manhattan.
Driscoll showed a lot in the win over Baylor. He showed he could lead a team that had been down for a long time and then still show loyalty after. Driscoll could have basked in the glory of the big win at home, but instead, he chose to defend his former head coach, and that is something Kansas State desperately needs.
The Wildcats are in need of a big culture fix and Matthew Driscoll could be just that for Kansas State.